Registry Registrar Registrant: how does it work?

2 Some key participants in the RRR model

Important ⚠️

While the RRR model is used by most Registries, some might operate differently. For example, by allowing Registrants to order domain names directly from the Registry, or by giving more power to the domain holder than to the Registrar.

What are the roles of each party?

RRR is the acronym of the three parties involved in the registration of a domain name: the Registry, the Registrar, and the Registrant.

Registries are organisations that manage one or more extensions. Registries can be: governmental entities, commercial or non-profit organisations, etc.
They sell available domain names through an intermediary: the Registrar.
The Registrar acts as a link between the end-user and the Registry. It’s an accredited company, authorised to issue domain operating licences to the Registrant.
Unlike the Registry, a Registrar manages multiple extensions. Netim is, for example, a Registrar.
There are sometimes geographical, political or other constraints preventing Netim from being accredited by a given Registry. When it’s the case, Netim will work with accredited partners to manage the TLD.
The Registrant is you! You are the holder or the future holder of a domain name and must go through a registrar (preferably Netim!) to register and manage your domain name.

Some key participants in the RRR model

While the Registry, Registrar, Registrant dynamic is relevant to explain the hierarchy of these institutions, there are other entities you might deal with.

ICANN
It all starts with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). The main role of this non-profit organisation is managing internet resources, such as domain names, as well as coordinating the different market players.ICANN is also the body that enforces laws and regulations on the entire domain chain.
ResellersResellers operate under the same principle as Registrars: they sell domains to Registrants.
However, they do not hold any accreditation and acquire domains from Registrars themselves. There’s often less diversity in the services they offer and they have no connection with the Registry administering the acquired domain names.
There are many “types” of resellers: web agencies, freelancers… Most of the time, selling domain names is not their only activity.